Something to Fight For
by Ann Parker
Summary: COMPLETE! Reid is beginning to wonder if he can win this fight against his addiction when the team gets sent to Dallas. The case takes a very interesting turn, pulling him into something he never expected that just might answer the question for him. ReidO
1. The Note

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. It is the property of Mark R. Gordon and CBS.

Note: This story came to me after watching "Honor Among Thieves" and reading an interview with Matthew Gray Gubler where he mentioned that the drug addition wasn't over, it just wouldn't be incorporated into every episode unless the writer wanted to use it. A little saddened and annoyed at that, this plot line of how to address it came to me. It's another Reid/OC story (not Sarah). I warn that it was written pretty much in one setting so although it has chapters, they will vary in length. Some really short, some _really_ long. Anyway, enjoy!

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**Something to Fight For**

Chapter One: The Note

By Ann Parker

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Tired. He was so tired. As he exited the elevator, Reid pushed his brown hair out of his face and sighed. Ever since his talk with Gideon in New Orleans, he had done his best to act normal. He didn't want the team to worry about him, even though he was scaring the crap out of himself. At first he had only take small doses every once and a while to help him sleep. Now, he couldn't even sleep at all without it. Yet he still felt drained when he woke up. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever have a peaceful nights sleep ever again. It was also becoming increasingly harder to hide it, but he was mastering the deception.

He made his way to his desk and set down his bag, nodding at Morgan and Emily along the way. He had apologized to the two of them on the flight back from the Big Easy, not because he felt he had done anything wrong but because he didn't need to deal with any extra tension. They seemed okay, but he had a feeling they were still a little leery of him. He couldn't exactly blame them. He was like a shell of his former self. He longed for the day when his life would begin to resemble some sort of normalcy. Whatever that was.

"Hey guys, we have a case," greeted JJ as she walked past them. Reid let out another sigh before following Morgan and Emily up to the conference room. When they entered, Hotch and Gideon were already waiting. Big surprise there. He didn't dare meet Gideon's ever watching eyes, still ashamed that he had let him down, let himself down. And yet, he still let it continue, unsure how to stop. As they sat down, JJ explained the case.

"Five women have been murdered over the last five months in Dallas," she started. "They were raped, strangled, and dumped on the side of the interstate."

"Do they have anything in common?" asked Emily as they looked over the crime scene photos. Reid tried to divert his eyes.

"Other than being young and single, the only connection the local PD could find was that they were temps for the same company a few weeks before their murders. A law firm, Lewis and Stein," JJ replied.

"Did they find any connection there?" asked Morgan.

"None that led anywhere," replied Hotch. "The last victim was found last night and since they have no leads, they called us. Plane is up in 20." Everyone nodded and they begin to break apart to get ready. Reid glanced back at the photos, not looking away this time. He couldn't suppress the shudder that escaped his body. The muddy grass and leaves surrounding their beaten, pale blue bodies reminded him of those Georgian woods. After a second, he realized that he was still in the conference room and quickly tried to pull himself together, hiding his momentary flash of fear and panic. Glancing around, he was relieved that no one was left. Except when his eyes landed on the doorway, he noticed Gideon was watching him. Crap. They locked eye contact for a second before he forced himself to break it and quickly left the room. He had a feeling Gideon was starting to figure out what was exactly wrong with him. Would this be the case that would finally break him? Finally break his silence?

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"I want fresh eyes on this Lewis and Stein angle before we dismiss it," stated Hotch. They had combed through all the files on the plane and now that they were about to land, their leader was assigning what the team was to work on. Not that Reid had really been listening that closely. He made sure to listen for his name, but that was about it. "Morgan and Reid, why don't you go reinterview some of the staff, see if there is anything there." He glanced up at Hotch when he spoke and then at Morgan, nodding. He could handle that. Morgan always took the lead during those anyway since he could communicate better. All he was worried about was if Morgan was going to take the opportunity to probe into his life, which he liked to do. He knew the older man was just trying to look out for him, but right now it was getting really annoying. Probably because he kept having to come up with lies.

After they landed, they dropped off they stuff at the hotel and then the pair borrowed an SUV from the Dallas FBI headquarters and headed to the firm. They pulled up to a large skyscraper, covered in glass windows. They shared a silent glance as they entered the building; sharing the same feeling that money might have something to do with why the leads had died. "Want to start from the top?" Morgan asked and Reid simply nodded. They briefly talked to the receptionist in the lobby, learning that Lewis was located on the 70th floor. They rode the elevator is silence and Reid tried not to examine his reflection in the stainless steel doors. When the doors opened, they revealed a large oak door with the name Steven Lewis embossed in gold.

"This should be fun," murmured Morgan and Reid smiled. He followed Morgan through the door and they found themselves in a lush waiting area/secretary's office. Reid immediately noticed said secretary as she breezed past them, files in her hands, because her long auburn hair shimmered red in the sunlight entering the room from the floor to ceiling windows to their left. Her black stiletto heals clicked on the marble floor as she walked over to her desk to answer the now ringing phone.

"Steven Lewis' office," she answered after placing the headset from the phone back on. Her voice was sweet and bubbly. He watched her as she leaned on her desk, her black pencil skirt hiking up a little to expose even more of her lean, tan legs. She glanced up at them and smiled, signaling with her hand that she'd be with them in a minute. "No, I'm afraid he was never notified of that," she continued in the phone. She reached across her desk to grab a piece of paper and pen and as she did so, Reid caught a slight glance at her cleavage down her silk, white blouse. He forced himself to divert his eyes. "Yes, I'll make a notation," she stated and wrote something down. "Thank you, goodbye." She hung up and turned back to them, hopping off her desk and smoothing out her skirt. Reid found that he couldn't stop watching her every move. "What can I do for you?" she asked.

"Agents Morgan and Reid from the FBI," stated Morgan and they flashed their badges. Reid noticed in her body language that she pretended to be surprised, but really wasn't. "We need to talk to Mr. Lewis."

She nodded, "just a second." Reid watched as she pushed a button the phone, swinging some of her hair to the side in the process. "Mr. Lewis, there are FBI agents here to talk to you." He noticed she paused and then pick up a folder from her desk. "Yes sir." She pressed the button again and then placed the folder in the crook of her left arm. "Follow me please." She flashed them a slight smile and then headed through a glass door at other end of the office. They followed her through the door and down a small hallway. She stopped at another oak door and knocked a few times before opening it.

"Here's the file you asked for," she informed the middle-aged man with a horrible comb over and expensive suit sitting behind an oversized desk. Reid fought back the overcompensating comment that immediately popped into his head. As she walked to his desk, she set down the folder and then gestured behind her. "Agents Morgan and Reid," she added.

"Thank you Megan. Please hold my calls," Mr. Lewis ordered, almost in a demeaning tone. Megan nodded and then turned to leave, brushing past him in the process. He turned to watch her leave and her green eyes lock with his for a second, as if trying to tell him something. She broke eye contact and closed the door behind her. That was odd. She had plenty of room, why did she brush past him? That look in her eye was interesting as well. Morgan started to ask questions, however, and pulled him back to the task at hand.

Some five minutes later, they walked out of his office. Stephan Lewis was definitely a narcissist, control freak, and Reid could see the potential for violence in him. Whether or not he was the unsub was still unclear. As they walked through the glass door, he dug his hand into his pockets of his coat. He furrowed his brow as his fingers glossed over a small card in his left pocket. Making sure Morgan didn't notice, he pulled the card out to read three words. 'Rotinni's at seven.' That was why she brushed past him; she slid it into his pocket. Placing it back, he glanced at Megan, who was now sitting at her desk, typing something. She looked up from her computer and locked eye contact for a second again.

"Reid." Morgan was standing in the doorway, looking at him. He turned away from her gaze and headed out the door. He glanced behind him though as they boarded the elevator, staring at the closed door. "You think she knows something?"

Reid looked over at him, pondering whether or not to tell him about the card. He decided against it. "I'm not sure."

Megan watched through the small glass windows that framed the door as the agents left and smiled to herself. The phone rang, which she quickly answered. "Stephan Lewis' office," she greeted in her fake, cheery voice.

"Was the message received?" a male voice asked.

"Loud and clear," she replied, in her real voice. It was slightly lower and more jaded, although she still had a slight southern accent. Dial tone soon greeted her ear and she hung up. Turning back to her computer, she sighed. She glanced in the direction of her boss' office for a second. She still had a lot of work to do before meeting the target tonight. Especially now that there appeared to be a kink in the plan.

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	2. Seduction

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**Something to Fight For**

Chapter Two: Seduction

By Ann Parker

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The rest of the day went by relatively slowly. After their meeting with Lewis, they interviewed Stein who was a moron, and some of the other employees that worked with the victims. They all worked menial jobs that could easily be replaced. No one really seemed suspicious or expressed that they thought someone else could be capable of this. Not that they would probably notice. Afterwards, Morgan and he returned to the local station and met up with the rest to develop the profile. They presented it to the local police, but Reid kept his mouth shut about how it could be Lewis. Normally he would never do that, but this time he knew that a new temp hadn't been hired so no one was in immediate danger. That and he wanted to see what Megan wanted before he said anything. If she had more concrete information then he'd speak up. And if she didn't then, well, he'd probably still mention it. He just had this feeling that she knew something that they needed…he needed to hear. He had hardly paid any attention when they presented the profile, he couldn't seem to stop thinking about her.

When Gideon suggested they go get something to eat before heading back to the hotel, he quickly made up an excuse that he had a headache and wanted to just go get some rest. A half lie – he probably could use rest. When Morgan offered to give him a ride he stated that he'd just catch a cab. He thought that might make his friend suspicious, but if it did, he didn't say anything. He waited for them to leave before catching a cab to the restaurant. When he entered, he scanned the small intimate scene, only to find her sitting at the bar, twirling a straw in her drink.

"You're early," she greeted when he slid onto the stool next to her. "I like that in a man," she added with a wink and a smile. He couldn't stop himself from smiling slightly in return. As she spoke he noticed a slight twang in her voice he hadn't caught in the office. That and it seemed a little mellower, not nearly as animated. Intriguing to say the least.

"How long since you moved back to Texas?" he asked, guessing. The slight southern drawl seemed to suggest to him that she grew up here but had moved away for a long period of time. She raised an eyebrow before laughing slightly.

"That's what I get for asking out a profiler," she replied with a kind smile.

"How do you—" She cut him off by placing a finger on his lips.

"All in due time," she stated. "Now to answer your question, only a few months." The fact that she knew what exactly he did for the FBI didn't seem to completely unnerve him. Her emerald eyes and small smile lured him into trusting her.

"So why did you ask me here?" he continued. He noticed her reach for something in her bag that was resting on the stool on her other side. She smiled and ran her left hand, her free hand, through his hair on the back of his head. He felt his breathing hitch slightly. If she was trying to seduce him, he just might let her. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed she was leaning closer.

"Why don't we call it an exchange of information," she whispered, her breath caressing his skin. He then felt her other hand on his upper thigh. Oh god, he was an easy mark for her. "I have something I need to show you," she added. He looked at her slightly confused. She locked eye contact for a second, before casting them downwards to his lap. It was only then that he realized that she had something in her hand that was on his leg. He glanced down only to see a familiar government logo staring back up at him.

"You're F—" Again she cut him off with the same gesture as before. He watched as her eyes briefly shot around the room as she removed her badge and quickly tucked in her purse. She nodded slightly, pulling a few dollars out of her wallet and setting them down on the bar.

"Take me to your room," she half ordered/half asked, running her fingers through his hair again. For someone he had now established was actually not trying to seduce him, she was doing a good job of it. He nodded, unable to speak. At least he knew he could trust her now.

They rose from their seats and she linked her arm in his, smiling sweetly at him. He noticed as she picked up her bag, she swung her hair behind her, as if trying to switch back to the woman he had met this morning. Shoot, he hadn't caught her name on her badge. She began to steer him out of the restaurant and he couldn't help but enjoy the sensation of her hand brushing against his skin. They headed down the dimly light sidewalk towards his hotel. He noticed that it wasn't far away in the drive over, actually just down the block. Even for Dallas in the spring, the cool night air made her shiver slightly since she didn't have a jacket. Without much thought, he unlinked their arms and shrugged off his own, placing it on her shoulders.

Looking up at him, she smiled, "nice to see that chivalry isn't completely dead." He smiled awkwardly back. Now that they weren't touching, his brain was beginning to function again and question after question was popping up.

"So, um, what exactly is going on?" he asked. He noticed her tuck some of her hair behind her ear, glancing slightly behind them in the process. She pulled him close, whispering in his ear.

"I'll explain when we're actually alone, I promise," she stated, gesturing behind her with her eyes. He quickly glanced the same direction and noticed two burly men following some distance behind them. He vaguely remembered seeing them at the restaurant as well. "Now, wrap your arms around me, you're supposed to be taking me to the hotel for a quick roll in the sack, remember?" His eyes must have given away his shock at that statement because she giggled slightly. He tried to recover quickly, though, and wrapped his arm around her back before kissing her briefly on the cheek.

"Does that work?" he asked, still unsure of what to do. Flirting with women, particularly someone as attractive as her, was not his strong suit. He noticed she was smiling, putting him a little at ease.

"It's a start," she grinned as they reached the hotel. "But you might want to make a bigger gesture when we reach the elevator. They probably won't follow after that if you do." He nodded as they walked through the lobby. He glanced around slightly; glad to see no one from the team was there. They were probably still out eating. He kept his arm wrapped around her as the elevator door opened. He thought about what she had said as they entered and a surprising wave of confidence came over him. Maybe it was because she made him feel comfortable, he wasn't sure, but when he realized they were the only ones boarding he had an idea. He positioned them so he would have to reach across her to push the button for the 5th floor. As he did this he noticed the men, rather indiscreetly for his standards, were still watching. Taking a deep breath, he pinned her against the side of the elevator.

"How's this?" he whispered right before his lips touched hers. He had intended it to only be a soft, short kiss, just long enough for the doors to close. Yet when their lips made contact, either his hormones or his desire to feel something other than pain and misery (he wasn't sure which) kicked in and he quickly deepened the kiss with no objection from her. He felt her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him close as their mouths danced. Finally, the need for oxygen pulled them apart.

"Um, wow," she whispered, her breathing slightly labored. "That was…better, much better." They were silent for a second, simply gazing into each others eyes, when he noticed her stick out her hand. "I'm Michelle, by the way. Special Agent Michelle Stratford." Reid blushed slightly, remembering that he didn't know her name yet and he just made out with her.

"Dr. Spencer Reid," he replied as he shook her hand. The elevator doors chose that moment to open. She broke contact and bent down to pick up his jacket that had fallen to the floor during the kiss. He waited for her to stand back up before exiting. "My room is, um, this way." She nodded and followed him down the hall. He fished out his room key and began to open his door when she spoke again.

"Spencer, has anyone ever told you you're a good kisser?" she asked. He turned to look at her and noticed the twinkle in her eyes.

"Uh, no," he replied shyly. Not that he had kissed many women that could tell him that. The door swung open.

She smiled, "well you are. Damn good." With that she walked into his room. He blinked for a second and then quickly followed her. He had no idea what he had just gotten himself into, but he had a feeling it was going to be interesting.

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	3. Company

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**Something to Fight For**

Chapter Three: Company

By Ann Parker

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He flicked on the light and watched as she walked over to his bed and sat down, setting down her bag and his jacket in the process. She removed her heels and rubbed her feet.

"God, I hate wearing these," she muttered. Reid smiled, leaning against the wall opposite from the bed. She looked up at him and smiled. "Don't be shy Spencer," she stated as she patted the bed next to her. "You weren't just a minute ago." He blushed slightly, but pushed himself off the wall and sat down next to her.

"So I take it you're undercover for some case involving Mr. Lewis," he stated as he leaned back on his hands, studying her.

"Correct," she replied. "I'm—" Noise from the next room, Morgan's room, stopped her. Both of their sets of eyes fell on the door that joined the two rooms together. "Is that locked?" she whispered. Before he could respond they noticed the doorknob begin to turn. She quickly grabbed her bag and ducked into the bathroom before the door opened. Reid's eyes drifted between the bathroom and the door.

"Hey Reid, I saw your light on so I figured I'd bring you the food," Morgan started until his eyes fell on a pair of black high heels by the foot of his bed, "we got you." He looked up at Reid and then back at the shoes and started to laugh. "You've got a girl in here?" Reid opened his mouth to reply, but Michelle's voice answered for him.

"Yes he does," she replied, exiting the bathroom now that she knew it was safe. Reid watched with amusement as Morgan's jaw dropped open while she walked over to him. She took the food from his partner and sat down next to him, flipping open the lid on the styrofoam container. "Oh, fries! Mind if I have a few? I'm starving," she asked him, completely ignoring Morgan's gapping mouth and gaze.

"No, go ahead," he replied and watched as she took two fries before handing him the container. As she ate them, Morgan finally decided to react.

"Reid, man, what the hell is going on? You shouldn't be mixing business with pleasure," he chastised. Now, that just annoyed Reid. He stood up, setting down the food on the nightstand in the process, and crossed his arms, eyeing the other man.

"I'm not. You should be more careful not to judge something before you have all the facts," he retorted.

"Okay, down boys," Michelle injected; now standing between them. "Agent Morgan, this is sadly just a business visit. Now, you can either calm down and stay or you can still shut up, but leave. Your choice."

They watched as Morgan appeared to think that over for a second. "Alright, then, just what is going on?" he asked. Michelle's cell phone chose that moment to ring. Groaning, she walked back into the bathroom to retrieve it and her bag.

"Stratford," she answered, walking back out by them. "Understood." She hung up and sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "It's been decided that we're gaining more company Spencer."

"You're boss?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"Just another member of my team. Along with the rest of yours apparently," she replied. "Morgan, I need you to call up your team and have them meet you in your room. Only make sure they don't come in one big group, it'll look less suspicious that way."

"What to you mean your team?" Morgan asked, still confused. "I thought you were the only secretary."

"What?" she asked, taking a second for it click. "Oh! I forgot you still think I'm Megan," she smiled. Reaching into her bag, she tossed her ID at Morgan.

"You're one of us?" he asked in a much softer tone, the situation starting to sink in.

"Yes. Now, can you go make those calls back in your room? Spencer and I need to prepare for our room service," she replied. Morgan nodded and set her badge down on the bed before walking back into his room, closing the door behind him.

"Room service?" Reid questioned. She smiled slightly and nodded as she untucked her shirt from her skirt and started to unbutton it. "What…what are you doing?" he stammered, shocked but unable to stop watching her. She giggled slightly and walked over to him, removing his already loose fitting tie.

"When we open the door for the room service, we'll probably be watched by the camera in the hall. We need to look like we've actually done something," she stated, unbuttoning his shirt. He couldn't seem to do anything to stop her, not that he had any real desire to do that. "That's why your team can't show up in a big group either," she added. His team…god, he hoped they didn't walk in on this. Glancing down at her, he noticed her shirt was open enough to expose her white, lacy bra. He tried to make himself stay professional and diverted his eyes, staring at the wall. He could hardly think straight when she was this close. He felt that she was done unbuttoning his shirt and then unbuckled his belt. Deep breath Spencer, he told himself. "That should work." He felt her eyes on his bare chest and she gently placed a hand on a few of his bruises. They weren't completely gone from when Tobias preformed CPR on him. "I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?" she asked in much softer voice than she had ever used. He looked down at her, meeting her eyes. He noticed she was biting her lip, looking unsure for the first time. He knew she was probably wondering where those came from, but at least for now wasn't going to ask.

He smiled slightly, "not really. I'm just not used to this kind of working relationship." The truth was that he was indeed out of his comfort zone, but he kind of liked that right now.

She giggled slightly, "yeah, sorry about that. Your team is throwing a kink in our operation."

"Doesn't bother me too much," he replied, cautiously placing his hands on her hips. He knew he probably shouldn't be doing this, but her smile suggested that she didn't really care. He felt her slid her hand up and around his neck.

"Want to pick up where we left off in the elevator?" she whispered, that same twinkle in her eyes. He grinned and bent down to kiss her. He knew they should have a few minutes alone and he intended to take advantage of that. Their mouths began the same dance from before as he felt his hands roam her body. He felt her push him slightly and he sat down on his bed, forcing her into his lap. He couldn't believe how intoxicating she was. He knew this situation could quickly get out of control, but he really didn't care. They pulled apart slightly, mainly for air again, and he felt her whisper in his ear. "I think I'm beginning to like kinks." He laughed softly, kissing her neck. A soft moan escaped her lips as she pulled him back to her mouth.

A soft knock on the joint door stopped them dead in their tracks. He heard her groan in frustration, the same feeling he was having, as she untangled herself from him. "At least he knocked this time," she stated, wiping her lips slightly. He laughed again, trying to regain his composure as well. He sighed and lay down on his bed, his legs dangling off the side.

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	4. Undercover

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**Something to Fight For**

Chapter Four: Undercover

By Ann Parker

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Michelle walked over and opened the door, revealing his team. Expressions of shock were on all of their faces as they walked in, eyeing the situation. Emily was the first to say something. She raised an eyebrow as she asked, "did we disturb something?" Michelle turned and walked back over to him and he could tell she was hiding a smile.

"Just keeping up the pretenses," she replied as she sat down next to him. Turning her head away from them for a second, she winked at him. He bit back a smile and looked over at his team. He could tell they were confused and slightly frustrated. He also noticed their gaze at his appearance, which forced him to pull his shirt closed. Now he was uncomfortable. Another knock, this time sharp and hard, could be heard at his door. "Oh goodie, room service is here. You guys need to either go back in that room for a second or make sure you can't be seen from the doorway," she instructed. The team nodded and walked over by the bathroom so they couldn't be seen. She turned and looked at him once more, "ready for some more acting?"

He couldn't hide the smile this time. "Oh, I think I can manage." She giggled as she got of the bed, offering him a hand. He quickly accepted it and she pulled him up. They started towards the door when he whispered in her ear. "What do you want me to do?"

"You're imagination has served you well so far, go with what you feel," she smiled back, opening the door. Reid wrapped his arm around her waist and began kissing her neck as the door swung open, revealing a man in red vest with a food cart. She placed one hand on his chest and slid the other through his shirt and set it on his back, pulling him slightly to make sure they were in view of any camera. "Please, come in," she managed to get out. The bellboy wheeled in the cart and they closed the door behind him. Reid stopped and he sore he heard her sigh.

"Well, I see you're enjoying the twist in your assignment," teased the bellboy as he wheeled the cart into the middle of the room.

"Shut up Thompson," Michelle ordered. She walked over to the cart and opened the silver food container. "You know, you could have at least brought some food along with the files. You'd think I was a model, not an FBI agent, will all the damn meals I miss." She grabbed the files, turned around, and handed them to Hotch.

"I think I like this view of you," the agent continued to tease her. Reid really didn't like this guy and was about to vocalize it, when Michelle beat him to it.

"Thompson, you really want me to kick your ass again, don't you?" she asked, placing the lid back on the cart. She spun the cart, pushing it to another part of the room. "Did you bring your own tip or are you expecting me to take care of that?"

"I've got that," he replied, pulling out some money from his pocket and handing it to Reid. He took it and looked at her as she walked back over to the two of them. "I'd love to stay, but…"

"But you know that you can't stop ogling me and don't want your face in the carpet," Michelle teased back. "Good plan." The other agent laughed and started to head to the door. She winked at Reid, grabbing his shirt and tugging him along. They had just about reached the door when she whispered in his ear, "my turn."

"Have fun Stratford," Thompson stated and opened the door. By the time it was all the way open she had her lips on his neck and her arms wrapped around his waist. How he managed to remember to hand the agent the money and shut the door, he wasn't sure. Once it was closed, she stopped and he sighed. He felt her pull on his shirt and met her eyes.

"We can finish that later," she whispered in a deep, raspy voice. He grinned; glad to see she was apparently feeling what he was. Whatever that was. "For now, back to business," she stated, speaking a little louder. They headed back to the rest of the team. Funny, he almost forgot they were there. She buttoned a few of her top buttons and he took that as a signal to do the same.

"You're investigating Lewis for funding terrorism?" asked Hotch as they made their way back. Sighing, she sat down on the bed.

"Names first please," she requested. "You've gotten to see me half-undressed, I think I've earned that much." Reid couldn't stop himself from laughing slightly as he sat down next to her.

"Right, of course," replied Hotch. "I'm Special Agent Aaron Hotcher and these are Agents Gideon, Jareau, and Prentiss." The rest nodded as he said their names.

"Special Agent Michelle Stratford," she replied. "And yes, we're investigating Lewis for exactly that, although I don't think he's doing do willingly I just can't find what the group has on him to get him to pay. I've been undercover for three months trying to find all the evidence we need to flip him on who he's working with and why. That should all be pretty much stated in what I handed you."

"Is that why we had those two men following us?" asked Reid.

Michelle nodded, "yes. They are connected to an underground terrorist group. They've been following me since day one to make sure I don't come across anything and try to report it. Not that they're doing a good job with that."

"How close are you?" asked Gideon.

"Very. Well, until your agents strolled into the office today and got him all fidgety and forcing me to delay my next search. What exactly are you looking at him for? I know it can't be good. They don't call the dream BAU team in for something simple," she stated.

"Dream team?" questioned Reid, a slight smile on his face.

"Yep. I knew who you were, or at least of you, before you flashed your badges at me this morning. Which reminds me, Agent Morgan, did your technician Garcia find anything of interest in my file?" she asked. For the second time that night, Morgan looked shocked.

"Just that you're a fast climbing agent, with an impressive record. You've aided in several big cases since you joined the bureau. That, and according to her, you could probably kick my ass. Although, I'm not sure I believe the last one," Morgan grinned. Reid was glad to see that he appeared to approve of her, even if it involved a background check. At least it meant that the team would trust her.

"Back to the case," stated Hotch, not nearly as amused.

"We're investigating a series of murders. A serial killer," Reid stated before the rest could.

Michelle sighed, "I should have guessed. How is Lewis connected?"

Emily walked over to her and handed her a folder. "All five women have been temps at his, your, firm." Reid watched Michelle as she opened the folder and looked over the photos of the victims. She bit her lip like before as she examined them.

"I recognize the last three. I wasn't here for the other two. I know they all attended the monthly banquet Stein insists on throwing, but that's all I really know. I have nothing to do with hiring them and I only saw them in passing, never worked directly with them," she stated, closing the folder and setting it down on the bed. Running her fingers through her hair, she asked, "how well does he fit the profile?"

"Good, but not perfect," stated Reid, ignoring the looks from the others. He knew he was going to hear about this later, but right now she needed to realize just whom she was dealing with.

"Do you think that would be the type of information that would be used to force him into helping terrorists?" asked Gideon, eyeing Reid in the process. He knew the young man well enough to believe he had a good reason for not mentioning that before. Namely, the woman before them.

"Possibly," she stated. They were silent for a second before she spoke up again. "Listen, you think you can give me a day before arresting him or searching his place?"

"And give him more time to dispose of any evidence?" asked JJ, annoyed and shocked.

"If there is actually any evidence to link him to the murders, he's either disposed of it already or kept it. And if he kept it, it'll still be there when you look for it. The man is a packrat; he can't throw anything away. That's why I've been here for so long; I've had to go through way too much useless information," Michelle replied calmly.

"You really think all you need is a day?" asked Hotch.

Michelle nodded, "yes. And if I need more time then it's on me, not you. I know you can't wait forever, nor would I want you to. Whoever did this," she gestured to the folder, "needs to be brought to justice."

"Deal," replied Hotch. "We'll run down another leads in the mean time, make sure Lewis is the unsub." JJ and Emily looked at their leader, shocked, but the others simply nodded. They had been with Hotch longer and knew he didn't want to get tangled in some interbureau mess.

"Thank you," Michelle stated as she stood up, handing him the folder. "I'll brief Agent Reid on my progress tomorrow night on our date."

"Date?" asked Morgan, grinning. Reid shook his head; he was never going to live this down.

"Yes. It's the most logical way to keep up our line of communication. I can't exactly stroll into the FBI office, now can I?" she stated, sitting back down by Reid. "You don't mind, do you?" she asked him.

"No, I think I can handle that," he replied, smiling slightly. In reality he was thrilled at the idea, but he didn't need to the team to notice that.

"Works for me," stated Gideon.

"Good. Now, out, all of you," she ordered. "We need to finish what we started." The team headed over to the joint door and begin to leave. Morgan was the last one at the door.

"Have fun Reid," he teased before shutting the door. Michelle walked over to it, locking it.

"Well," she started. "I should probably stay in here for a while before leaving to make it look believable." She walked back over to him as he nodded in reply. "What do you want to do in the mean time?" By now she was standing directly in front of him.

Clearing his throat, as if to fight back his nerves, he pulled slightly on her shirt. "I can think of a few things." He watched as a smile crept across her face and he soon matched it with one of his own. He watched as she hiked up her skirt slightly before climbing into his lap.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered, "I like the way you think." He laughed slightly as he pulled her lips down on his. They began again and it was like they hadn't missed a beat. Things began to quickly progress now that they knew they wouldn't be interrupted. Her shirt was now completely undone and any buttons he had fixed before were quickly opened again. He fell back on his bed, which led to her straddling him. She was bent over him, her hair cascading around them. They continued their dance and even though it turned into a 30-minute make out session, to them it seemed much shorter. "You know," she started, but he kissed her again. "We probably." Another kiss. "Shouldn't do this." He didn't kiss her this time, but stopped and looked in her eyes. Was she suddenly rejecting him? Sure, they had only just met but he thought he had read all the signals correctly. "Since Morgan can probably hear us and all," she finished with a slight smile. He sighed in relief. Okay, not a rejection, she just didn't want the team to hear.

"I really don't care if he can," he replied, kissing her neck. He heard her moan softly and continued.

"Spencer, I'm serious," she stated, even though she wasn't putting up much resistance. He stopped again. "I promise we can finish tomorrow when you take Megan home," she offered. He smiled slightly. "Hell, I guarantee it," she added and making him laugh.

"Okay," he replied, running a hand across her jaw line. "Then you better get off me before I can't stop." She smiled and climbed off him, sitting on the bed next to him. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, both trying to calm down. Neither could explain why they were so immensely attracted to the other, but they didn't appear to want to fight it.

Finally, she sighed and stood up. He leaned up on his elbows and watched as she buttoned up her shirt and tucked it in. She then grabbed her heals and put them on. Next she dug out a piece of paper and a pen from her bag, writing something down. "Here's Megan's address," she stated, handing it to him. "Be there at 7:30 and dress casual."

"Okay," he replied. She walked into the bathroom for a minute and he could watch her as she fixed her make up a little and her hair. When she came back she offered him a hand.

"Show a girl to the door?" she asked, grinning. He smiled and took her hand, allowing her to lead him to the door. She opened it and walked through the doorway, but turned back to him. Smiling, she grabbed his shirt again and planted a deep kiss on his lips.

"That wasn't fair," he managed to whisper against her lips when they separated. She giggled slightly before making more distance between them.

"I know. See you tomorrow," she smiled and then turned and walked over to the elevator. He watched her as she boarded, waiting until the doors closed before walking back into his room. A few minutes later, he had changed and lying down in bed. It didn't take him long to fall sleep. It wasn't until the next morning that he realized he hadn't taken, or needed, any Dilaudid that day. And he had actually had a restful nights sleep.

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	5. Ready to Fight

Author's Note: Thanks for all the kind reviews so far!! Here is the really long chapter I mentioned; I couldn't decide where to break it. The character that is introduced in this chapter was done so due to a dare by one of my friends. She wanted me to incorporate him into some story, so I did. Although she'd tell you that he's not exactly the same as he is in real life, but I'm taking writer's prerogative. Hope you like him! (Don't worry, he's no competition for Reid!)

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**Something to Fight For**

Chapter Five: Ready to Fight

By Ann Parker

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"I hate to say it, but Lewis appears to be the only one that fits the profile," stated Morgan. The team was sitting around a table in the FBI's Dallas headquarters. They gone over all other leads the local PD had come up with since getting the profile, but no one fit. "Not to mention the fact that he's the only one with some sort of connection to all the victims." Reid sighed, knowing it was going to come to that. He just hoped Michelle got what she needed.

"I'll go get the warrant to search his place and we'll move in first thing in the morning," commented Hotch. "Unless you learn something relevant," he added, nodding at Reid. He nodded in reply, looking at his watch. 6:56 pm. They really had been at this all day. He had been waiting for this moment since they arrived in the building this morning. Partly because he wanted to see her, another because he had been fighting withdrawal symptoms all day. He could have just taken another shot and fixed it, but the part of him that was repulsed by the drugs was finally beginning to win the battle. He got up out of his chair and grabbed his bag.

"I'll let you know," he replied, swinging his messenger bag over his shoulder. Hotch nodded and Reid headed over to the door.

"Go get 'em, lover," teased Morgan when Reid started to open the door. The comment made him pause for a second, but he decided against replying and simply walked through the door. He had a feeling his best friend, if not the whole team, noticed the slight change in his demeanor. Instead of constantly focusing on hiding the drug use and the nightmares that plagued his soul, he actually had a little skip in his step even with the withdrawal. He didn't think Michelle realized just what she had done for him by pulling him into this crazy, undercover but not, world.

He headed back to his hotel room and changed into a pair of jeans and a button down shirt. He actually decided to leave it untucked, which was a rare move for him. He grabbed the piece of paper with her address on it and left to meet "Megan." His cab ride was short and he soon found himself standing in front of her apartment building on Second Street, pushing on her room buzzer.

"Hello?" her voice greeted through the intercom. He fought back the laugh at her attempt to sound overly bubbly.

"It's me," he replied.

"Great! I'll be right down," she answered with a giggle. Reid rolled his eyes, hoping that he got more Michelle instead of Megan tonight. How she managed to keep up that act for so long, he didn't know. He leaned against the old brick wall while he waited. Glancing around he noticed the two men were back. Great. "Hey." He turned and saw her standing next to him in jeans and a green sweater that brought out her eyes. She was even more beautiful than yesterday.

"Hey," he returned with a smile. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into a quick kiss.

"Was that just because or for the goons watching us?" she asked when they pulled apart.

"Little bit of both," he replied and she grinned. She tugged him away from the building and headed down the street. "So what are we doing?"

"There's a neat little jazz club a few blocks down from here that I thought you might like," she stated. "That and the music will make it easier for us to talk without being heard."

He nodded, "sounds logical. And you're right, I love jazz." She smiled at him, wrapping one of her own arms around his back. They walked the rest of the distance in pleasant silence, with the exception of a few kisses that were exchanged. To anyone that walked by them, they looked like a cute couple out on a date. Reid wished that were the case, but at least they could have fun pretending it were only that simple.

"We're here," she stated as they stopped in front of a small club with dim lighting. Soft jazz could be heard coming from the bar. Reid grabbed the door handle and opened it for them, causing her to flash him a smile. She took hold of his hand and navigated them through the maze of eclectic furniture to a small booth in the back. They slid into the booth next to each other as a waitress came up to them.

"Can I get you two anything?" she asked. Michelle looked at him and shrugged, before looking back at the waitress.

"I'll just have a diet coke and a burger," she replied.

"I'll have the same," he added and the waitress nodded and left. Michelle turned back to him and began to play with his hair. "So…" he started, trying to come up with something to say.

She smiled, "You're cute when you're flustered." He felt blood rush to his cheeks as he looked down. She slid a little closer to him, her hand still playing with his hair. "Your guys can go ahead and do what you need to do," she whispered into his ear.

"Okay. Hotch is ready to search his place tomorrow," he replied, keeping his voice low. "Did you get what you needed?"

"Almost, but with him out of the office tomorrow morning, I can get the last few files without a problem," she answered. The waitress showed up then and left them their food. She removed her hand and turned back to the food. "Now that we have that out of the way, we can just have fun tonight," she stated, a grin creeping across her face.

"I could use a night out," he replied, taking a bite of his burger. Michelle giggled as they ate their dinner. "So why exactly did you pick me?" he asked after a few minutes. It was something that had been bothering him since the beginning. If all she needed was a way to communicate with his team, why pick him over Morgan? All women flock to Morgan. "Why not Morgan? He definitely the more attractive option."

She looked at him for a second, slightly taken aback at that last comment. "Spencer, not every woman is attracted to super macho men that exert their alpha-maleness." He simply looked at her, wanting more than that. She sighed, "besides, I knew you were the smarter one and would handle the situation better." She took a sip of her drink.

"There's more to it than that," he stated, reading her face easily.

She looked into his eyes, "yes there is." Her voice got much softer as she continued. "I just…sensed that you needed someone to talk to. I may not be a top profiler, but I know pain when I see it." She placed a hand on his cheek, stroking it gently. "I'm not going to make you talk, but if you want to I'm here." He sat there for a second, studying her eyes. She was able to read him way too well and it should have unnerved him, but yet he found himself becoming even more relaxed, more trusting, with her. After a few seconds, she removed her hand and turned back to her food.

They ate the rest of their meal in peaceful silence, listening to the music. As some point Reid found himself with his arm wrapped around her shoulders and she was leaning against him, her head resting on his shoulder. He loved the fact they could sit there in silence and just enjoy each other's company. She wasn't forcing him to answer any questions, even though she undoubtedly had some. She just sat there leaning next to him, her hand on his chest, lightly taping to the music. She made him feel so comfortable, at peace, something he hadn't felt since before Tobias.

"I just love this music," she murmured. "The musician can really tell a story about what he's feeling." Reid nodded, running his hand through her hair.

"Yeah," he whispered in agreement. He noticed her hand rest on his chest where his bruises were, and knew that she was thinking about what caused them. He glanced down at her and she met his gaze. "Do you want to know how I got those?"

"Only if you want to tell me," she replied. He pulled her close and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"I think I'm finally ready to tell someone," he replied, cupping her face. "But I forewarn you that it's not pleasant."

It was her turn to initiate the kiss as she pulled him close, this time much deeper. "I think I can handle it," she whispered against his lips. "Wanna take Megan home now?" He nodded and left some money on the table as they made a hasty retreat. It didn't take them long to get back to her building and up to her apartment on the third floor. When they entered, a large coonhound came running up. Reid prepared for the "Reid factor" as Hotch had dubbed it to kick in, but the dog actually stopped by him and wagged his tail, begging to be petted.

"Well, that's interesting," she commented as Reid cautiously pet the dog's head. "Cooter has never done that."

Reid raised an eyebrow, "Cooter?"

"What? I'm a southern girl, I can name my trained attack dog after a Dukes of Hazzard's character," she replied with a smile. "He usually at least barks at any man he meets. He must trust you already." She patted the dog on his back, whistling and pointing to the dog's bed. Cooter simply looked at her and then whined to be petted again by Reid. He petted him for a little longer before she tried again. This time the dog moaned, but walked over to his bed.

"You said trained?" teased Reid and Michelle sighed.

"Oh, he'll attack when needed, but his manners aren't the best. He's supposed to be my extra security, although apparently not against you," she replied.

Reid laughed as she gestured to her living room and he went and sat on the couch. She wondered off into the kitchen for a second. The moment alone reminded him of what he was going talk about. He knew he needed to share his ordeal; it was the first step in moving past it. He also knew that he could never tell anyone on the team. They witnessed some it and would try to claim they know what he went through, but they never would really understand. If he was to talk about this it needed to be with someone not connected, which was why he felt he could tell her. But was it right to put this on her shoulders? She seemed to care even though they had only just met the day before, but this was big. If she rejected him or freaked out on him when he shared his story, he didn't know if he could ever talk about it again.

"Hey," she greeted, sitting down next to him as she placed two glasses of water on the coffee table. "I figured it was kind of late for coffee." He met her gaze and sighed in relief at her smile. She was doing a good job of making this as easy as possible.

"We had a case in Georgia," he started. He felt her place a hand on his shoulder and he felt safe. Why he was able to trust her so quickly, he knew he'd never understand. But at that moment he felt it and the story just poured out of him. He watched her face as he went into the details about going out to Tobias' house, JJ's scream, and the cabin. He could see her shock and horror in her eyes, but she didn't run, didn't even act like she regretted allowing him to tell her. She instead kept a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently, and moving closer to him. He told her everything. Well, except for the fact that he had stolen the drugs and was still using them. That he couldn't seem to let escape his lips just yet. When she noticed he was finished, she climbed into his lap and hugged him. Simply hugged him and stroked the back of his head. He felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her as close as possible.

They sat like that for a few minutes as he waited for her to speak. "It's over now. You can over come this Spencer," she whispered, placing a hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and sighed bitterly.

"No it's not. No I can't," he replied angrily. And then, acting out of emotion, he rolled his sleeve up, knowing it was loose enough to expose the true demon. He immediately regretted it as her fingers gently touched the track marks on his arm. Some old, some much newer. Even though her touch was soft, it felt like fire to him. He opened his eyes, fully intending on pushing her off of him, pushing her away, and running, but when he saw her eyes as she looked at his arm, he couldn't. He could see that she was almost fighting back tears and in a weird twist found himself wanting to comfort her even though it should be the other way around. He placed a hand on her cheek, stroking it with his thumb and she turned to look at him.

"Spencer, you can still beat this," she whispered.

He furrowed his brow, "how can you be so sure?"

"Because I've seen someone when the drug has fully consumed them and they are unable to fight back. You are not that far. You just need to find something to fight for," she stated. He could see in her eyes that this person was someone very important to her. She knew what she was talking about from experience.

"Okay. What do I fight for?" he asked, beginning to accept her reasoning.

"Well, what is something that you really want?" she asked. He could tell by her smile that she was fine, that she wasn't going anywhere. He might just be okay too.

"Right now," he stated, pulling her even closer. "You." Before she could respond he kissed her, deeply. He didn't want to think about his problem anymore, not with her in such close proximity.

"That's a start," she managed to get out in between kisses. She climbed off him and led him to her bedroom.

Now that they knew they wouldn't be disturbed or overheard, it didn't take them long to pick up where they had left off the night before. They had done enough foreplay yesterday so they didn't waste time. Both were hungry for the other. Neither questioned why they had such strong chemistry. They just went with what they felt, something foreign to Reid and, although he didn't know it, to her as well. For his part, he managed to put aside any anxiety he would normally have with a woman. He had only been with one other woman at this level back when he was finishing up his third PhD and that had been awkward. Now, he just found himself knowing what to do naturally, particularly if her responses were any indication. Before long their clothes were nothing but a discarded pile; her sheets were twisted around them as they lay next to each other, now trying to catch their breaths.

"Wow," she managed to whisper, closing her eyes as her head hit the pillow. He was lying next to her on his side and just watched her. He didn't think it was possible, but she was even more beautiful.

"Yeah," he murmured as he placed a hand on her cheek. She instinctually responded to his touch, leaning her head into it. He watched as her eyes fluttered back open and met his. "Thank you."

She looked at him confused, "for what? Keeping my promise?" They both laughed slightly at that knowing that she never had any intention of not keeping it.

"No," he replied, brushing some of her hair off of her face. "I don't know how or why, but you've made me want to fight back. To fight to get my life back. I don't know exactly what lies ahead for me, but I'm willing to face it, so thank you." He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, signifying that he meant every word. He thought this might end up being the case that forced him to deal with his problem, but never in a million years did he think this was how. That he'd meet a beautiful woman that he could confide in and not be judged. When he pulled back he noticed a sweet smile gracing her features.

"You're welcome. I'm not sure how I helped, but I'm glad I did. You deserve to have a life and if I helped you see that than I couldn't be happier," she stated, running her hands through his hair. He pulled her into another embrace, one that was much more gentler than earlier, but with the same desire.

Before they knew it, it was nearly one in the morning when she glanced at her clock. "Oops," she giggled. "You should probably get back to the hotel."

He groaned, "why?" He sounded like a whining child and he knew it, but he didn't want to leave her side. Besides, if he was going to lose sleep, this is how he'd like to do it.

"Don't try that little kid act on me," she teased. "Not after what we've been doing all night." Reid laughed and sat up in bed. "I believe you have a house to search tomorrow and I need to raid an office. You should probably be back with your team."

"I suppose that would be the best idea," he replied and slid out from under the sheets. He quickly threw on his clothes and was surprised when she did the same. Well, she didn't get completely dressed, just enough to cover the essentials.

"I'll walk you to the door," she stated when he looked at her questioningly. She guided him back through her apartment, Cooter following them as she showed him to the door. He patted the dog on the head before walking through the doorway and turning back to her. Grinning, he pulled her into a deep kiss. "That wasn't fair," she teased when they parted, just as he did the night before.

"I know," he stated and both laughed slightly as he headed down the hallway. He glanced back in her direction right before turning the corner to see she was still watching him. He grinned and waved before she was out of his line of sight.

He made his way to the hotel without a problem and with a decision. When he reached his room, he quickly grabbed the vials of Dilaudid and the needle and then headed across the hall to Gideon's room. He didn't care what time it was, if he didn't do this now he could very well lose his nerve. He knocked, but Gideon didn't come to the door. He knew Gideon wasn't that sound of a sleeper, so he should have heard that. He knocked again and still no response. He sighed, glancing down at the floor. That was when he noticed the light was still on in Hotch's room, which was connected to Gideon's just like his and Morgan's. Where they both still up? Walking over to Hotch's door he tried knocking again.

"Reid," Hotch greeted a few seconds later. The door was open wide enough that he noticed both Gideon and Morgan were there. That was odd; they wouldn't be working on the case this late. "Come in." He followed Hotch into the room, tucking his hand into his shirt. He didn't know if he could do this with all three in here. He eyed all three, trying to decide what they were doing. Where they waiting up for him? "Did Agent Stratford have any new developments?"

"Huh?" he replied, but quickly recovered. "Oh right. She said we're fine to go search his place. She has a few more files to get, but was going to use our distracting Lewis to her advantage." It was times like that he was grateful for his memory because he could hardly recall that part of the night. The men nodded.

"You were out late," stated Morgan, smiling at him.

"I didn't realize I had a curfew," he replied, grinning. So they were up because of him. He wondered if they would be doing this if he hadn't been abducted. The others chuckled at his retort; it put them at ease a little.

"Did you need something?" asked Hotch. Reid glanced at all of them, but let his eyes stop on Gideon. The older man smiled slightly, as if he was expecting, hoping, this to happen.

"Yeah, I was looking for Gideon," he replied. "I need to talk to you." Gideon nodded. "Alone."

Morgan took that as his cue and stood up. He stopped when he reached Reid and whispered in his ear, "hope you got to have a little fun." He roughed up Reid's hair and began to walk away.

"More than just a little, actually," Reid replied, causing Morgan to stop dead in his tracks.

Morgan turned back, "glad to have you back Reid." They exchanged smiles before Morgan finally left. Reid turned back to the others and found Gideon standing by the connecting door.

"Ready?" he asked and Reid nodded.

"Good night Reid," stated Hotch as they walked through the door.

Reid glanced back at him, "night Hotch." He turned back to follow Gideon, not noticing the smile creep across his superior's face. He also appeared relieved; their old Reid was finally starting to return to them. He would never be the same, but he didn't appear consumed by Tobias' shadow anymore.

Reid closed the door behind them and Gideon flicked on the light, taking a seat on his bed. He gestured to a chair near the foot of the bed and Reid sat down. "What's on your mind?" Gideon asked.

Reid took a deep breath. It was now or never. "I wanted to give you something. I don't need it anymore." Reid held out his hand, setting the vials and needle down in Gideon's open palm. He looked down at the floor, waiting, and unable to meet Gideon's eyes. He finally did it, but now he didn't know what to expect. He noticed Gideon move and watched his feet as he put them into his bag before heading back to bed.

"I'll dispose of them later," Gideon stated, answering the question before it was asked. "I don't think the hotel is the best place of that." Reid nodded, still unable to look at him. By the tone of his voice, he didn't sound completely surprised.

"I, um, took--" he started, figuring Gideon was waiting for an explanation, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"You don't need to explain. I know why, even if I'm not thrilled that you did. But I still understand. What's important is that you want to stop now, that you're ready to cope," Gideon stated. Reid finally met his gaze and nodded.

"I am ready," he replied. Gideon grinned and squeezed his shoulder before dropping his hand.

"I do have one question, though," he commented and Reid nodded. "What made you decide this now?"

A smile crept across his face before he could stop it. "Michelle. She made me realize there was something worth fighting for."

Gideon nodded, "I thought so. I'll have to remember to thank her."

Reid smiled and stood up, starting to head to the door. He knew they'd have to talk more about it at a later date, but the line of communication was finally open. That was enough for now. "Gideon," he started, turning back around. "Do you have to tell the others?"

Gideon shook his head. "No. But I think it might be good for you, and for them, if you do." Reid nodded and turned back to the door. "Good night Spencer."

The use of his first name caused him to spin back around again, locking eye contact with his mentor. He smiled slightly, "good night Jason." Gideon smiled and Reid walked out of the room. As he made his way into his room, relief washed over him. He knew this wasn't going to be a piece of cake, but he felt that he was finally ready to handle it. With that thought, he had another peaceful nights sleep.

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	6. Wrong Man

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**Something to Fight For**

Chapter Six: Wrong Man

By Ann Parker

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As they pulled up to Lewis' large townhouse with some of the Dallas PD, another government SUV pulled up. Reid immediately recognized Thompson as he approached with another man. "Agent Hotchner?" Thompson asked as they approached. Hotch and the group turned to them.

"That's me. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Special Agent Wilson. I believe you've met Agent Thompson," the other man greeted, shaking Hotch's hand. "Agent Stratford works on my team."

"Is something wrong?" asked Reid, suddenly becoming worried.

"Everything is fine. We just want to aid in the search in case there is something of use in our case," replied Wilson.

Hotch nodded, "alright. Let's move." They were actually able to simply knock on the door, which should have been their first clue. Lewis, stunned, let them in and sat down at his dining room table as they searched his house. They searched and found nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"What exactly is this about?" asked Lewis, starting to become a little nervous. Reid tried to read him; he seemed unsettled and fidgety, neither of which fit the behavior of their killer. How could they have been this far off the mark in the initial profile?

"This," stated Hotch, setting down photos of all the victims. Lewis quickly looked away.

"And this," stated Wilson, showing Lewis paperwork that linked him to feeding money to a known terrorist group.

"You don't understand," Lewis whispered. His eyes drifted to a photo on the wall. Reid walked over to it and studied it. It was of Lewis with what appeared to be his daughter. She looked about the same age as all the victims. She had long red hair that reminded Reid of Michelle. Just what the hell was going on?

"Who is this?" Reid asked, taking down the picture and handing it to Lewis. He glanced at Gideon, noticing that he caught it too.

Lewis gently ran his fingers over the girl's face. "She's my daughter, Angela. She's being held captive by this group." He gestured to the paperwork Wilson had.

"How did you miss that his daughter was taken?" asked Emily of Thompson.

"The last information we had on her was that she was overseas doing traveling. We didn't think anything of it that she never showed up on our surveillance," Thompson replied.

"That's why you're giving them money," whispered Reid. Michelle had been right; he was being forced into it.

"A total of a three million dollars. The last transaction was to happen this morning," Lewis stated. "These…these women were reminders."

"What do you mean?" asked Gideon.

"He killed them to remind me of what would happen to her if I went to the authorities. He'd flaunt them at his damn parties and the next day I'd get photos in the mail of their dead bodies," Lewis answered, turning away from the photos again. He couldn't stand to look at them.

"He…" Reid started, searching his memory. "Stein?" He remembered Michelle mentioning something about monthly parties. That was where she'd seen the last three victims.

Lewis nodded, "yes. And he's the one that hired that damn secretary, knowing her features would remind me of Angela." That explained why he was rude to her when they were at the office.

"No, that's an undercover agent, Mr. Lewis," stated Wilson. "We didn't know about your daughter when we planted her. If we had we would have gone about this completely differently."

"Where do these transactions take place?" asked Thompson.

"In the office. He did that to make sure I felt his control everywhere," Lewis replied, hanging his head. Reid's eyes grew wide and he quickly dug out his cell phone.

"Office of supreme genius, speak," greeted Garcia.

"Garcia, I need you to patch me through to Michelle's cell phone. Now!" he exclaimed, heading to the door in the process. She needed to get out of there. If Stein found her…

"Reid, what the hell is going on?" asked Morgan as the others tried to catch up with him.

"Michelle went to the office this morning to get a few more files," he rattled off quickly as Garcia patched him through. It kept ringing.

"She didn't tell me that. Did she tell you?" asked Wilson, looking at Thompson. He shook his head.

"Well she is, let's just move," ordered Reid as they were about to reach the SUVs.

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Meanwhile, Michelle made her way into Lewis' office. Without a sound she made her way to his locked filing cabinet, breaking in. After several tries in her time on this assignment, she had finally figured out the code. She knew he had something in here that they needed. She dug through the paper work only to find a folder with photos.

"That's odd," she whispered to herself, pulling it out. It contained photos of the victims in Reid's case. Flipping them over she found handwriting in black marker with warnings. 'She'll be next,' 'She has your eyes,' 'One more to go,' and more. She then found a photo of another young woman who looked frightened. "Oh god." She recognized her. She had found a photo of Lewis with her last week. His daughter? Looking back to the other photos, she stared at the handwriting. Why did it look familiar? Her vibrating phone in her jacket pocket distracted her and she began to dig it out when she heard the chilling sound of a gun's hammer being cocked.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," ordered the gun's owner. She immediately recognized it. Stein. How had she missed this? She quickly pushed a button on her phone, switching it to speaker, in the hopes that someone from her team was on the opposite end.

"Mr. Stein, sir, there's no need for a gun," she stated in her bubbly voice. "Mr. Lewis just wanted me to get him a personal file about his daughter." She turned slowly, coming face to face with the barrel of the gun. Stein looked different, confident, evil. How had she fallen for his stupid act? "Please don't shoot."

"Shut up!" he exclaimed. "Don't think I don't know what you really are!" He yanked her arm, pulling her to him, and causing her to slightly cry out in pain.

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	7. We're Even

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**Something to Fight For**

Chapter Seven: We're Even

By Ann Parker

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Reid froze. Oh god, they were too late. He had heard her conversation when she turned on her phone.

"Reid?" asked Gideon, watching him. Everyone was watching him.

He placed his hand over his mouthpiece so he didn't give away that her phone was on. "He's got her," he whispered, his eyes full of panic and fear.

"How do you know?" asked Hotch, gently pushing him into the car. If it was true then they needed to move now.

Reid flinched, hearing her cry in pain again. He was forcing her into the elevator. "Because I can hear them. He's taking her somewhere." He hoped that she was simply playing up, acting, those cries. If she _really_ is in great pain…he didn't know if he could handle this. He was still incredibly fragile. They began to drive off, lights flashing, towards the firm. Gideon placed a hand on Reid's shoulders, sensing what Reid was feeling. This just might break him if she didn't make it out of this. Morgan flipped open his phone.

"Go," Garcia greeted, far more serious due to Reid's last phone call.

"Hey mama, I need to you to track Stratford's GPS in her phone. Stein's got her and we need to know where they are going," Morgan replied.

"On it," replied Garcia. "They're leaving the firm, fast, probably in his car. Just turned onto Second Street."

"Second Street," Morgan told Hotch who nodded. Gideon kept watching Reid. The young man looked to be thinking very intently as he listened to the conversation.

"Where exactly are we going?" asked Michelle. God, she hoped whoever was on the other end was getting all of this. Right now, she really hoped it was Reid. She knew that if anyone could figure out her clues, he could. He _was_ the genius on that team.

"I want my files back," Stein ordered as he drove, rather crazily, weaving in and out of traffic.

"Whoa, okay calm down. No need to drive like a Duke," she stated, which thankfully Stein ignored.

Gideon watched as Reid grinned suddenly, shaking his head. "Morgan, you said Second Street, right?" Reid asked. Morgan nodded. "He's taking her to her apartment to get her files."

"You sure?" asked Hotch, looking at him through the rear view mirror.

"Positive," Reid replied. "If you pull up to the side of the building there's easy access to the fire escapes. I can get in before they do."

"You?" asked Gideon. Was Reid really ready for this? The young man met his eyes, daring him to say no. "Okay. Let's do it. But you're taking Morgan with you." Reid nodded and Morgan informed them that Stein and Michelle were almost there. Even though it was only a minute before they pulled up to the side of the building, it felt like an eternity to Reid. He wasn't going to lose her. He was going to fight.

They were hardly stopped before he jumped out of the car and ran over to the fire escape. Morgan barely caught up with him as he ran up the three flights of stairs. Garcia told them that Stein and Michelle were entering the building when Reid broke her bedroom window, climbing inside. Almost immediately the coonhound was at them, starting to bark and growl at the intruders. Reid bent down slightly, almost to the dog's level, which would normally be dangerous. He placed his hand on Cooter's head, rubbing it and looked the dog in the eyes. The gesture seemed to work and the dog stopped. He turned to Morgan and gestured for him to follow, not noticing the look of amusement on Morgan's face at his interaction with the dog. They made it through her bedroom and down the hall. Morgan gestured that he was going to stay out of sight of the door, Cooter staying next to him. Reid nodded, keeping his gun pointed at her front door as they heard the voices approach.

Her keys jingled. The door swung open. He noticed in her eyes that she was immediately relieved when she saw him even though Stein wrapped an arm around her neck and pointed his gun at her head.

"We've got you, Stein. You might as well let her go," Reid stated, his voice steady as he pointed the gun at the man.

"We?" questioned Stein with a laugh.

"The other agents are swarming the place as we speak. You're not getting out of here. Now let her go," Reid edged forward. He could tell the man was starting to panic. He quickly glanced at Michelle, who slightly nodded. She knew what he was trying to do and was ready. He continued to move towards them.

"Don't come any closer!" Stein exclaimed, point his gun at him, away from her. She took that exact moment to grab his arm and pull it down, banging his forearm over her knee. The gun dropped out of his hand and landed on the floor in a loud thud. She quickly twisted Stein's arm behind him before whistling slightly. Cooter came running, jumping on Stein's back, knocking him down. She released her grip to grab the gun, which was still technically in Stein's reach, as Cooter stood growling and barking over the man, his teeth showing. Any drastic move and the dog would have sunk them into the man. Morgan came out and grabbed his cuffs.

"Man, am I glad that dog likes me," commented Reid, earning a smile from Michelle although she wasn't looking at him.

"Mind calling him off?" Morgan asked, not wanting the dog to attack him in the process of the arrest. Michelle whistled and snapped her fingers, gesturing to her side. Cooter was soon standing between her and Reid, still on guard. Stein appeared to be lightly dizzy, probably from hitting his head on the floor when he was knocked down. Reid glanced at Michelle as they kept their guns pointed at him while Morgan cuffed him. He could feel his breathing finally beginning to slow down now that he knew she was safe. This has been quite possibly the craziest few days of his life, and she was to blame and thank for that. "Reid, want to call the others and tell them the news?"

He nodded, calling Hotch. He noticed that once Morgan had Stein secure, Michelle lowered her gun and bent down to her dog. "Good boy," she praised, petting and hugging the dog. As he hung up, she grabbed the leash that was sitting on the table behind her and put it on the dog.

"What are you doing?" he asked, amused.

"I think Wilson and Thompson need to see who the biggest asset of our team is," she replied, grinning. They started down the hallway, walking behind Morgan who had a hold of Stein. "I think we're even now, by the way."

Reid looked at her as she tucked Stein's gun into the small of her back. "What do you mean?"

She looked up at him with a smile full of gratitude. "I saved you, you saved me. I think that's a pretty fair trade-off." Reid smiled in return and nodded. Hotch and Wilson reached them then and helped Morgan deal with Stein. As they walked through the front entrance of the building and watched them shove Stein into the back of a police car he heard her sigh.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I can't believe he fooled me," she muttered in frustration. "I was looking at the wrong guy for three months."

"He had us all fooled," stated Gideon, walking up to the pair. "Agent Stratford, I just wanted to say thank you," he stuck out his hand, which she shook even though she was confused. He glanced at Reid for a second and then she nodded, understanding what he meant. Reid smiled at the gesture. "Reid, we're going to have to head off in a few minutes." Their job was done now; the locals could take it from here. With that he left them alone.

"So, now that your assignment is about done here, where will you go?" he asked as he turned to look into her eyes.

"If the bureau doesn't send me on another undercover mission, which they better not for awhile, I'll go back to my permanent station," she replied.

"Which is?" he asked, wishing and hoping it was at least somewhat close to Quantico.

"DC," she answered, grinning. He felt a smile creep across his face as well.

He nodded, "so if I were, to say…" She pulled him into a kiss, stopping him mid-sentence. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her hands on his shoulders. The loud bark from her overprotective dog next to them broke them apart after a few minutes.

"Cooter!" she yelled, chastising the dog that only moaned in response. They begin to laugh slightly, and she buried her head in his chest. He ran a hand through her hair as she looked up at him a few seconds later. She kissed him once more, this time much more gentler and shorter. "Call me," she whispered against his lips when she pulled back. "You have my number now."

He grinned, placing a quick kiss on her forehead. "I promise. Or rather, I guarantee it." They exchanged smiles as he released his grip on her. He patted Cooter on his head before walking over to his team that was waiting by their SUV. He immediately noticed the smiles on all of their faces, particularly Morgan's.

"I don't want to hear it, Morgan," he ordered as they climbed in to the SUV.

"Aw, come on man! You can't suck all the fun out of this. I could just tell Garcia and she'll bother you. Which would you prefer?" Morgan teased. Reid shook his head as he glanced out the window. He watched as Thompson and Wilson walked over her and she handed them the gun. Cooter appeared to be barking at them and he couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped from his lips. That dog really does bark at every man he meets. Except for him of course.

"So Reid, I've got to know. How did you figure out that he was taking her to her apartment?" asked Emily.

"Dukes of Hazzard," he replied, laughing at all of their confused faces. "Don't ask." The team chuckled.

"Stratford is one interesting woman," commented Hotch.

Reid smiled, looking out the window at her again as they finally pulled away. He noticed her look in his direction and wave. Waving back, he commented, "yes she is." He felt Gideon place a hand on his shoulder briefly and they exchanged smiles. Leaning back in his chair, Reid closed his eyes. Michelle was definitely an interesting woman. Someone he had every intention getting to know better. After all, she had given him something to fight for.

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**The End**

Don't kill me for ending it there! I envisioned this story as actually being able to take place in an hour for the show, which is why it's so short. I do have an idea for a sequel, however. It'll be added to my growing list of ideas for the summer. "Reid's Miracle" opened a floodgate that can't be closed now… I have to finish the Bones crossover and start the Numb3rs one first, but a sequel to this will get done. As will probably part three in the Sarah series because I have no summer classes to worry about!

Thanks to everyone that reviewed!! I really appreciate your feedback; it makes it worthwhile to write the ideas that keep invading my brain. –Ann Parker


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